Chapter I: Preface

It has been said that a preface to a book is merely to give an opportunity to the author to make excuses for his shortcomings, and this is to a certain extent correct.

The chief point that seems to call for explanation in the case of this work is the condensation of a very long story into a very brief space. Economy demands that the book containing the history of the Buffs during the momentous years from 1914 to 1919 shall not stretch its length beyond a certain limit, and it is difficult to pack the stories of eight fighting battalions for four years into the required space; yet it is feared that the unavoidable price of a more lengthy volume or volumes might perhaps be prohibitive in the cases of many individuals deeply interested in the regiment.

Thus it is clear that if all battles and engagements are to be described, what may perhaps be considered as a bald record of events is not altogether avoidable.

The intervals between the great fights were fairly well filled with minor enterprises and with individual acts of gallantry, all of which ought to be recorded, but it is a misfortune that many brave deeds done by single men or very small parties can find no record in these pages. Several were performed that were not reported at the time, as is so often the case in war, when everyone of rank is so occupied with his urgent duties that it is more or less a chance whether or no he notices the heroism of individuals about him.

The list of subscribers, without whose help this book could not have been produced, is printed on pages 549–554.

CONTENTS

PAGE

AUTHOR’S PREFACE v

FOREWORD BY GENERAL THE RT. HON. SIR ARTHUR PAGET,
P.C., G.C.B., Colonel of the Buffs xix

CHAPTER I

THE FIRST BATTALION GOES TO WAR

I Introductory 1

II Events following the outbreak of war 4

III Move to France and Battle of the Aisne 7

IV Battle of Armentieres: Action at Radinghem 14

CHAPTER II

THE SECOND BATTALION TAKES ITS SHARE

I The Second Battalion returns to England from India 25

II It proceeds to the Western Front 28

III “O” Trench 29

IV Trench warfare near Ypres 38

V Second Battle of Ypres 40

CHAPTER III

THE PREPARATION AND THE START OF MORE
BATTALIONS

I Short summary of events 57

II Duties of the Depot 60

III The Third (Special Reserve) Battalion 63

IV The Fourth and Fifth (Territorial) Battalions 65

V Formation of the Sixth Battalion 68

VI Formation of the Seventh Battalion 72

VII Formation of the Eighth Battalion 75

VIII Formation of the Second-Fourth and Second-Fifth
Battalions 78

Formation of the Third-Fourth and Third-Fifth
Battalions 80

IX Raising of the Volunteer Battalions 81

X Formation of the Ninth Battalion 82

CHAPTER IV

THE WESTERN FRONT--LOOS

I The First Battalion 85

II Loos 90

III The Eighth Battalion at Hulluch 94

IV The Second Battalion. The Hohenzollern Redoubt 99

V The Sixth Battalion at Hulluch 105

VI The Seventh Battalion 109

VII Life in and behind the trenches 110

VIII Summary of Events 114

CHAPTER V

THE TURKISH ENEMY

I The Fourth Battalion at Aden 117

II The Fifth Battalion in Mesopotamia. Attempted
relief of Kut. Actions of Sheikh Saad and The
Wadi 121

III The Kent Composite Battalion in the Gallipoli
Peninsula and Egypt 131

Buff portion of the battalion transferred to Royal
West Kent Regiment 132

CHAPTER VI

THE SOMME

I Summary of events which led to the offensive on
the River Somme 134

II The Sixth Battalion from the commencement of
1916 to November of that year. The Hohenzollern
Redoubt and Battles of Albert (1916), Pozieres
Ridge and the Transloy Ridges 136

III The Seventh Battalion during the same period.
The Battles of Albert (1916), Bazentin Ridge,
Thiepval Ridge and the Ancre Heights, with the
capture of the Schwaben Redoubt 147

IV The Eighth Battalion. The Battle of Delville Wood 155

V The First Battalion. Battles of Flers-Courcelette
and Morval 164

CHAPTER VII

A YEAR AT SALONICA

I The Second Battalion 174

II Action of Karajakoi 177

III Affair of Barakli Dzuma 179

CHAPTER VIII

WITH MAUDE IN MESOPOTAMIA

I The position in 1916 183

II Battle of Kut, 1917 185

III Subsequent pursuit to Baghdad 193

CHAPTER IX

PALESTINE

I Formation of the Tenth Battalion 200

II Second Battle of Gaza 203

III Third Battle of Gaza 207

IV Battle of Nebi Samwil 213

V Defence of Jerusalem 216

CHAPTER X

THE WESTERN FRONT

NOVEMBER, 1916, TO JULY, 1917

I Summary of Events 221

II The Seventh Battalion. Battle of the Ancre 222

III The Seventh Battalion--(_continued_) 225

IV The First Battalion 229

V The Eighth Battalion 231

VI The Sixth Battalion. Battle of Arras and the Scarpe 234

VII The Seventh Battalion 240

VIII The First Battalion 243

IX The Sixth Battalion 246

X The Seventh Battalion 247

XI The Eighth Battalion. Battle of Messines 248

CHAPTER XI

THE WESTERN FRONT

CONTINUATION TILL MARCH, 1918

I The position of affairs in the middle of 1917 255

The story of the First Battalion from middle of
1917 to the Battle of Cambrai in November 256

II The Sixth Battalion during the same period 258

III The Battle of Cambrai 263

IV The First Battalion from Cambrai to the 20th
March, 1918 267

V The Sixth Battalion during the same period 270

VI The Seventh Battalion from middle of 1917 to the
20th March, 1918. Poelcappelle 272

VII The Eighth Battalion from middle of 1917 to its
disbanding in February, 1918. Battle of Pilckem
Ridge 279

CHAPTER XII

THE QUEEN’S OWN RIFLES OF CANADA

I The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada 284

II The Canadian Buffs 291

CHAPTER XIII

THE END OF THE SALONICA AND MESOPOTAMIA
CAMPAIGNS

I The Fourth Battalion in India 292

II The Fifth Battalion in Mesopotamia. Affairs on
the Nahr Khalis. Passage of the Adhaim. Action
of Istabulat. Affair on the Shatt el Adhaim.
Second action of the Jabal (or Jebel) Hamrin.
Third action of the Jabal Hamrin 294

III The Second Battalion in Macedonia. Battle of
Doiran, 1918 304

CHAPTER XIV

HOLDING ON

I Preparations for defence 315

II The First Battalion during the German offensive.
Battle of St Quentin. Back to Belgium 317

III The Sixth Battalion during the German offensive.
Battle of the Ancre, 1918 331

IV The Tenth Battalion in France 339

V The Seventh Battalion during the German offensive.
Battle of St Quentin 340

CHAPTER XV

THE GRAND RESULT

I The Seventh Battalion, the 6th August to the 21st
August, 1918. The Battle of Amiens 355

II The Sixth Battalion at the Battle of Amiens 359

III The Sixth and Seventh Battalions from the 22nd
August to end of September, 1918. Battles of
Albert, 1918. Second Battle of Bapaume. Battle
of Epehy 361

IV The Sixth Battalion’s history up to the Armistice 381

V The Seventh Battalion during the same period.
Battle of the Selle. Battle of the Sambre 384

VI The Tenth Battalion during the advance to victory.
The Battle of Epehy 391

VII The First Battalion during the advance to victory.
Battle of Epehy. Battle of Cambrai, 1918.
Battle of the Salle. March into Germany 400

CHAPTER XVI